Admiralty
W-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from JS White, Cowes
IoW in
1916-17 Programme
(10th Order) and laid down on 12th
June 1917.The ship was launched on 1st
February 1918 as the 7th RN warship to
carry to carry the name, introduced in 1693
and last used for 6th rate in 1861.
Her completion date was 29th
April 1918
and after brief service with
the Fleet in WW1 she was later deployed in
the Baltic during the operations
against the Bolsheviks. As part of the
rearmament programme in 1939 this ship
was selected for conversion into
an Escort Destroyer
and fitted with improve Anti-Aircraft
weapons for convoy defence.
B
a t t
l e H
o n o u r s
BURMA
1852-53 - CHINA
1856-60 - NORTH SEA 1940-44 - ENGLISH CHANNEL
1943
- ATLANTIC 1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On
a Field,
Party
per fess Silver and red., in chief a
Tudor rose red in base a castle Silver.
M
o t t
o
'Valour
makyth
the man'
D
e t a i
l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e
(for more
ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 3 9
September
Under conversion to Escort Destroyer (WAIR)
at Portsmouth
(See V AND W DESTROYERS 1917-1945 by A
Preston and BRITISH DESTROYERS
by Edgar
March
for further details).
1
9 4 0
January
Under conversion.
to
March
April
Post refit trials and prepared for
operational service.
May
Deployed on coastal convoy defence.
Detached to reinforce French naval AA
defence at Dunkirk (Operation FA).
12th
Assisted in evacuation from Flushing,
Holland.
13th
Damaged in action with aircraft off Scheldt.
Returned under own power to
Dover.
June
Under repair at Liverpool.
to
August
September
Post repair trials and work-up.
Joined Rosyth Escort Force.
October
Deployed on coastal convoy escort in English
Channel and North Sea.
November
Coastal convoy escort in continuation.
8th
Under heavy dive bomber attacks during
escort of Convoy FN29 in Barrow Deep.
Claimed destruction of two aircraft and
sustained some damage.
(See THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by J P
Foynes
December
(For details of activities In Home waters
see HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).
1
9 4 1
January
Coastal convoy escort and patrol in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January
Deployed for coastal convoy defence in North Sea and English
Channel.
to
Warning radar Type 286M fitted.
December
(For details of development and use of radar
by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse).
1
9 4 3
January
Coastal convoy defence in continuation.
to
December
1 9
4 4
January
Coastal convoy
defence in continuation. Resumed coastal
convoy escort in
North
Sea.
to
February
March
Detached
for loan service with 4th Escort Group for
Atlantic convoy defence.
April
Atlantic escort in continuation
to
July
August
Resumed coastal convoy defence in North Sea after service with 4th Escort Group.
September
North Sea duties in continuation
to
December
1 9
4 5
January
Nominated for withdrawal and to be reduced
to Reserve status when Atlantic convoys
re-routed through Channel and threat of air
attack had been reduced.
February
Paid off, reduced to Reserve and deployed as
an Accommodation Ship at Rosyth.
March
Accommodation Ship duty in continuation
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS WINCHESTER was placed on the Disposal List after
the end of
hostilities. Sold to BISCO in March 1946 the
ship was broken up at
Inverkeithing.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
WINCHESTER
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
22/04/40
|
22/04/40
|
FS
0153
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
06/05/40
|
06/05/40
|
FS
0164
|
08/05/40
|
08/05/40
|
28/06/40
|
28/06/40
|
FN
0207
|
30/06/40
|
30/06/40
|
02/07/40
|
02/07/40
|
FS
0210
|
03/07/40
|
03/07/40
|
05/07/40
|
05/07/40
|
FN
0214
|
07/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
FS
0218
|
11/07/40
|
11/07/40
|
13/07/40
|
13/07/40
|
FN
0221
|
15/07/40
|
15/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
22/07/40
|
FS
0229
|
24/07/40
|
24/07/40
|
25/07/40
|
25/07/40
|
FN
0232
|
27/07/40
|
27/07/40
|
29/07/40
|
29/07/40
|
FS
0236
|
31/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
01/08/40
|
01/08/40
|
FN
0239
|
03/08/40
|
03/08/40
|
06/08/40
|
06/08/40
|
FS
0244
|
08/08/40
|
08/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
FN
0247
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
FS
0255
|
19/08/40
|
19/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
20/08/40
|
FN
0258
|
22/08/40
|
22/08/40
|
24/08/40
|
24/08/40
|
FS
0261
|
26/08/40
|
26/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
27/08/40
|
FN
0264
|
29/08/40
|
29/08/40
|
31/08/40
|
01/09/40
|
FS
0268
|
02/09/40
|
02/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
FS
0280
|
15/09/40
|
15/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
FN
0282
|
18/09/40
|
18/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
FS
0287
|
22/09/40
|
22/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
FN
0289
|
25/09/40
|
25/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
27/09/40
|
FS
0293
|
29/09/40
|
29/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
30/09/40
|
FN
0295
|
02/10/40
|
02/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
FS
0303
|
09/10/40
|
09/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
FN
0305
|
12/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
15/10/40
|
15/10/40
|
FS
0310
|
18/10/40
|
18/10/40
|
19/10/40
|
19/10/40
|
FN
0312
|
21/10/40
|
21/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
FN
0320
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
05/11/40
|
05/11/40
|
FS
0328
|
07/11/40
|
07/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
FN
0329
|
09/11/40
|
10/11/40
|
12/12/40
|
12/12/40
|
OB
258
|
15/12/40
|
15/12/40
|
12/04/43
|
12/04/43
|
CW
170
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
CE
168
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
MORE DETAILED MOVEMENTS OF
HMS WINCHESTER
by Don Kindell
(These movements have not
been reconciled with the main text)
WINCHESTER was out of service
from 8 November 1940 to 6 June 1941 with bomb
and mine damage. From there she worked
up at Scapa Flow from 17 to 26 June 1941
before returning to the Rosyth Escort Force.
She was in a collision with
collier ARKWRIGHT on 19 Feb 42, repairing at
Rosyth from 21 Feb to 11 March..
Refitting 20 August to 8
October 1942 and 28 February to 12 May 1944.
On
8 August 1944 she was damaged with an iron
hulled pilot cutter and deemed not
economically repairable. So nothing
after 8 August 1944, back on the East Coast.